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The Gospel and Personal Evangelism
Evangelism is not only misunderstood, it is often unpracticed. Many Christians want to share the gospel with others, but because those Christians don't grasp the fundamentals of witnessing, they feel intimidated and incapable of sharing the truth of the gospel.
Yet those believers fail to recognize that God has already established who and how we are to evangelize. In The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Dr. Mark Dever seeks to answer the four basic questions about evangelism that many Christians ask: Who should we evangelize? How should we evangelize? What is evangelism? Why should we evangelize? In his answers Dever draws on New Testament truths and helps believers apply those truths in practical ways. As readers understand the fundamentals of evangelism, they will begin to develop a culture of evangelism in their lives and their local churches.
Yet those believers fail to recognize that God has already established who and how we are to evangelize. In The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Dr. Mark Dever seeks to answer the four basic questions about evangelism that many Christians ask: Who should we evangelize? How should we evangelize? What is evangelism? Why should we evangelize? In his answers Dever draws on New Testament truths and helps believers apply those truths in practical ways. As readers understand the fundamentals of evangelism, they will begin to develop a culture of evangelism in their lives and their local churches.
124 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2007
138 people are currently reading
1458 people want to read
About the author
Mark Dever
126 books327 followersMark E. Dever serves as the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Since his ordination to the ministry in 1985, Dr. Dever has served on the pastoral staffs of four churches, the second being a church he planted in Massachusetts. Prior to moving to Washington in 1994, Dr. Dever taught for the faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University while serving two years as an associate pastor of Eden Baptist Church.
In an effort to build biblically faithful churches in America, Dr. Dever serves as the executive director for 9Marks (formerly The Center for Church Reform, CCR) in Washington, D.C. 9Marks encourages pastors of local churches look to the Bible for instruction on how to organize and lead their churches. Dr. Dever also teaches periodically at various conferences, speaking everywhere from South Africa to Brazil to the United Kingdom to Alabama. Feeling a deep burden for student ministry, Dr. Dever often addresses student ministry groups at campuses throughout the country. He has also taught at a number of seminaries, including Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Dr. Dever’s scholarly interests include Puritanism and ecclesiology.
Dr. Dever currently serves as a trustee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; he also serves as a member of the board, vice-chairman, and chairman of the Forum for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. From 1995 until 2001, he served on the steering committee for Founders Ministries, a pastoral movement for biblical teaching and healthy church life within the Southern Baptist Convention. As Guest Senate Chaplain for two weeks in 1995, Dr. Dever opened the daily sessions of the United States Senate in prayer. He is a member of the American Society of Church History and the Tyndale Fellowship. He also held the J.B. Lightfoot Scholarship at Cambridge University from 1989 to 1991.
In an effort to build biblically faithful churches in America, Dr. Dever serves as the executive director for 9Marks (formerly The Center for Church Reform, CCR) in Washington, D.C. 9Marks encourages pastors of local churches look to the Bible for instruction on how to organize and lead their churches. Dr. Dever also teaches periodically at various conferences, speaking everywhere from South Africa to Brazil to the United Kingdom to Alabama. Feeling a deep burden for student ministry, Dr. Dever often addresses student ministry groups at campuses throughout the country. He has also taught at a number of seminaries, including Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Dr. Dever’s scholarly interests include Puritanism and ecclesiology.
Dr. Dever currently serves as a trustee of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; he also serves as a member of the board, vice-chairman, and chairman of the Forum for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. From 1995 until 2001, he served on the steering committee for Founders Ministries, a pastoral movement for biblical teaching and healthy church life within the Southern Baptist Convention. As Guest Senate Chaplain for two weeks in 1995, Dr. Dever opened the daily sessions of the United States Senate in prayer. He is a member of the American Society of Church History and the Tyndale Fellowship. He also held the J.B. Lightfoot Scholarship at Cambridge University from 1989 to 1991.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
August 16, 2016
Short book on why we need to evangelize. It's aimed at all of us and is frank about the fears and challenges that go along with this. Dever also does a good job of focusing on evangelism (the telling of the gospel) vs. apologetics (defending the gospel) or sharing your testimony. As always he's focused on Christ and His power to save and not a technique or gimmick. This book won't answer all your questions but it's a good quick read with a lot of good insight.
October 18, 2021
one of my all time favorite books. would highly recommend for all believers! convicting, encouraging, and practical.
April 29, 2024
And that, people of Goodreads, is the last book for my degree.
November 26, 2024
Clear and well-illustrated. Mark Dever is a great example of an evangelist and it shines through on the pages of this book. Would recommend to anyone interested in the topic.
August 13, 2025
An easy read on why all Christians should share the gospel
June 10, 2018
Short but sweet. Especially helpful are his thoughts on what isn't the good news and what isn't evangelism, as well as his encouragements to share the gospel and exhortation to be joyful, urgent, and honest in evangelism. Includes brief and convincing chapters on
-Why Don't We Evangelize?
-What Is the Gospel?
-Who Should Evangelize?
-How Should We Evangelize?
-What Isn't Evangelism?
-What Should We Do After We Evangelize?
-Why Should We Evangelize?
"My concern is: if you don't believe that the gospel is the good news of God's action-the Father electing, the Son dying, the Spirit drawing-that conversion is only our response to God's giving us the grace-gifts of repentance and faith, and that evangelism is our simple, faithful, prayerful telling of the good news, then you will actually damage the evangelistic mission of the church by making false converts. If you think that the gospel is all about what we can do, that the practice of it is optional, and that conversion is simply something that anyone can choose at any time, then I'm concerned that you'll think of evangelism as nothing more than a sales job where the prospect is to be won over to sign on the dotted line by praying a prayer, followed by an assurance that he is the proud owner of salvation."
"In light of all this, evangelism should be both a discipline and a worshipful act of devotion."
-Why Don't We Evangelize?
-What Is the Gospel?
-Who Should Evangelize?
-How Should We Evangelize?
-What Isn't Evangelism?
-What Should We Do After We Evangelize?
-Why Should We Evangelize?
"My concern is: if you don't believe that the gospel is the good news of God's action-the Father electing, the Son dying, the Spirit drawing-that conversion is only our response to God's giving us the grace-gifts of repentance and faith, and that evangelism is our simple, faithful, prayerful telling of the good news, then you will actually damage the evangelistic mission of the church by making false converts. If you think that the gospel is all about what we can do, that the practice of it is optional, and that conversion is simply something that anyone can choose at any time, then I'm concerned that you'll think of evangelism as nothing more than a sales job where the prospect is to be won over to sign on the dotted line by praying a prayer, followed by an assurance that he is the proud owner of salvation."
"In light of all this, evangelism should be both a discipline and a worshipful act of devotion."
October 16, 2024
Listened to the audiobook at work so I was not listening very attentively. Nevertheless, I found it to be helpful in examining the reasons that we believers fail to evangelize. I did hope that Dever would provide examples of his conversations with the unbelievers in his community. Instead, he gave helpful tips on integrating evangelism into daily life. I came away from the book with a renewed appreciation for his and Connie’s care for the members at CHBC.
February 16, 2024
Read this in one sitting a couple weeks ago when I was having a bit of a crisis - was helpful for what it is. Devers writes simply yet passionately, and speaks beautifully about the Gospel.
November 15, 2015
I was reading this book together with a brother from church and found this to be a helpful resource. I appreciated the tone of the book since it was pastoral, biblical and loving towards the Lord and those who don’t believe. I enjoyed this book enough to went ahead and purchase a few copies for other members of my church for Christmas.
The book’s seven chapters answers different questions pertaining to evangelism such as “Why don’t We Evangelize?” “What is the Gospel?” and “How Should We Evaangelize?” I think the way the chapters were organized was helpful for the sake of the book’s logical flow. Since someone reading this book might be struggling to engage in personal evangelism it makes sense that the first chapter evaluate the excuses of why Christians don’t evangelize. I thought it was helpful to have a heart check based upon this chapter and have oneself identify what is one’s frequent excuse one might have in saying no to evangelism. I love the second chapter that went over “What is the Gospel?” especially with how the author hit on what the Gospel is not. One needs to be clear what the Gospel is, and sometimes it is not the popular mantra and one-liners you hear from Evangelical circles. By far my favorite section of the book were the chapters on how should we evangelize, what isn’t evangelism and what should we do after we evangelize. There are many books on evangelism out there and it’s always good to see the differences different guys have with their mechanics of evangelism and pick up what is good. I think the author was really good in showing Christian principles rather than exact tactical “methods.” All readers shouldn’t miss Mark Dever’s recommended reading lists. Pastors shouldn’t miss Dever’s practical word to pastors on how to be more faithful in fulfilling the work of an evangelist which I took to heart from knowing how much of an evangelistic heart Pastor Dever has both in and out of the pulpit.
Again I think this is excellent for a Christian personal reading and also for discipleship.
The book’s seven chapters answers different questions pertaining to evangelism such as “Why don’t We Evangelize?” “What is the Gospel?” and “How Should We Evaangelize?” I think the way the chapters were organized was helpful for the sake of the book’s logical flow. Since someone reading this book might be struggling to engage in personal evangelism it makes sense that the first chapter evaluate the excuses of why Christians don’t evangelize. I thought it was helpful to have a heart check based upon this chapter and have oneself identify what is one’s frequent excuse one might have in saying no to evangelism. I love the second chapter that went over “What is the Gospel?” especially with how the author hit on what the Gospel is not. One needs to be clear what the Gospel is, and sometimes it is not the popular mantra and one-liners you hear from Evangelical circles. By far my favorite section of the book were the chapters on how should we evangelize, what isn’t evangelism and what should we do after we evangelize. There are many books on evangelism out there and it’s always good to see the differences different guys have with their mechanics of evangelism and pick up what is good. I think the author was really good in showing Christian principles rather than exact tactical “methods.” All readers shouldn’t miss Mark Dever’s recommended reading lists. Pastors shouldn’t miss Dever’s practical word to pastors on how to be more faithful in fulfilling the work of an evangelist which I took to heart from knowing how much of an evangelistic heart Pastor Dever has both in and out of the pulpit.
Again I think this is excellent for a Christian personal reading and also for discipleship.
April 18, 2024
Good heart of God’s ultimate work in evangelism as well as the desire for all Christians to be evangelistic. I think for what this book is trying to accomplish, it does. My main critique is that the ways evangelism are presented don’t entail building trust within relationships or other important aspects to get to the points given in this book, that are wise especially in certain cultures. Not as excuses but as genuinely wanting the real gospel to be shared & received. Good overarching basics of what evangelism is though.
February 7, 2016
There's a lot of books and opinions on evangelism out there. The strength of this book is the solid Biblical and theological foundation Dever lays for evangelism. I found this book to be full of many rich sentences, and my copy of this earned many well-deserved underlines.
I think the tendency most people have when reading books on the subject of evangelism is to get to something that is incredibly practical and immediately applicable. This book don't major on that stuff. But, I'd argue, in order to do the practical stuff of evangelism well, you must have a solid, Biblical, theologically informed position. One's theology of evangelism has massive implications for how one conducts evangelism. We've probably all heard street preachers who seem to be all fire and brimstone, all truth but no grace, and we certainly know believers who don't make a regular practice of evangelism because they conveniently subscribed to "lifestyle evangelism". Inevitably, these and other types of "evangelism" (or excuses for not doing evangelism) are the products of bad or immature theology. A correct theology of evangelism is absolutely essential for Biblical evangelism. With that said, many of the ideas of this book are not so much ones that should be merely intellectually understood, but rather ideas that we should allow to seep into the theological marrow of our bones.
I thought Dever's comments on how we should evangelize were especially noteworthy. He lists honesty, urgency, and joy as three essential components that must always be present in evangelism. He writes, "So that's the balance that we want to see--honesty, urgency, and joy. Honesty and urgency with no joy gives us a grim determination (read Philippians). Honesty and joy with no urgency gives us a carelessness about time (read 2 Peter). And urgency and joy with no honesty leads us into distorted claims about the immediate benefits of the gospel (read 1 Peter)" (60).
Unfortunately, one common theological straw man is the argument that Calvinistic theology undermines evangelism. However, as this book gives a proper Biblical & theological treatment of evangelism, it is no surprise that the author consistently writes about evangelism from a thoroughly Calvinistic perspective. This is made explicitly clear in the historical examples of evangelists he gives (Edwards, Whitefield, Judson, Carey), in the theological treatments of the gospel he cites (The Cannons of Dort), the theologians he cites (Augustine, Calvin, Bunyan, Spurgeon, Lloyd-Jones, Kennedy, Packer, Sproul), and in the Biblical accounts he gives (John 3:16, John 6:37, Paul, Peter, etc.). Calvinism has a rich history of evangelism. Additionally, Dever makes the important point that rather than being a deterrent to evangelism, Calvinism is actually the environment in which healthy evangelism best thrives.
Also very good that he explained what evangelism is and what it isn't, essentially stating that evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel and a call to sinners to repent and believe in Jesus. Very helpful that Dever then went on to explain what the gospel both is and isn't. Without a clear view of this, any attempt to discuss evangelism becomes subjective or murky.
I also very much enjoyed the chapter on why we should evangelize. I'm sure Dever had good reasons, but saving this discussion for the end of the book rather than discussing it at the beginning seems a bit strange to me.
One of the main themes that Dever continually repeated was the responsibility of the Christian in evangelism and the work of God in conversion. In one example, Dever writes, "The Christian call to evangelism is a call not simply to persuade people to make decisions but rather to proclaim to them the good news of salvation in Christ, to call them to repentance, and to give God the glory for regeneration and conversion. We don't fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not converted; we fail only if we don't faithfully tell the gospel at all" (80-81).
The word to the pastors at the end was excellent. The danger in topical books like these is often to impose upon pastors practices that will dominate their ministry. However, I found Dever's suggestions to pastors to be very manageable, balanced, realistic, and pastoral-theologically informed. A pastor himself, this is no surprise coming from Dever.
A couple (very minor) criticisms:
First, this book was lacking in a theology of Jew/Gentile in evangelism. Even when discussing Romans 9-11, Dever failed to mention that these chapter are specifically about reaching the Jewish people with the gospel, the Gentile's role in this, the subsequent blessing to both groups, and how this is God's design for global evangelism. This is strangely, though unsurprisingly, missing from the book. Even one paragraph making mention of this would have been satisfactory. For a book focused on giving a Biblical-theological treatment on evangelism, this is a small thing to ask.
Second, and maybe more implicitly, I felt like at times Dever's writing could be interpreted as leading to a false dichotomy between evangelism and discipleship. At one point he says, "…evangelism should find its fulfillment in discipleship" (91). Unfortunately, though we use language like this for the sake of convenience, evangelism and discipleship are not Biblical distinctions. What is "discipleship" anyway? I believe Dever understands this, but again, even a simple paragraph to make this clear would be helpful. Or perhaps even rewording quotes like this to read "…evangelism finds its place in the disciplemaking process," or something like that. Dever laments how many churches are full of false converts who fail to actually repent and live for Jesus; I would contend that part of the reason is because we have incorrectly split Jesus' singular command to make disciples into two parts: evangelism and discipleship.
If the Holy Spirit is convicting you to obey the Biblical command to evangelism (or should I say, 'make disciples'?), this is the place to start. No one can have a healthy practice of evangelism without a solid, Biblically informed theology of evangelism. I highly recommend this book to every believer.
I think the tendency most people have when reading books on the subject of evangelism is to get to something that is incredibly practical and immediately applicable. This book don't major on that stuff. But, I'd argue, in order to do the practical stuff of evangelism well, you must have a solid, Biblical, theologically informed position. One's theology of evangelism has massive implications for how one conducts evangelism. We've probably all heard street preachers who seem to be all fire and brimstone, all truth but no grace, and we certainly know believers who don't make a regular practice of evangelism because they conveniently subscribed to "lifestyle evangelism". Inevitably, these and other types of "evangelism" (or excuses for not doing evangelism) are the products of bad or immature theology. A correct theology of evangelism is absolutely essential for Biblical evangelism. With that said, many of the ideas of this book are not so much ones that should be merely intellectually understood, but rather ideas that we should allow to seep into the theological marrow of our bones.
I thought Dever's comments on how we should evangelize were especially noteworthy. He lists honesty, urgency, and joy as three essential components that must always be present in evangelism. He writes, "So that's the balance that we want to see--honesty, urgency, and joy. Honesty and urgency with no joy gives us a grim determination (read Philippians). Honesty and joy with no urgency gives us a carelessness about time (read 2 Peter). And urgency and joy with no honesty leads us into distorted claims about the immediate benefits of the gospel (read 1 Peter)" (60).
Unfortunately, one common theological straw man is the argument that Calvinistic theology undermines evangelism. However, as this book gives a proper Biblical & theological treatment of evangelism, it is no surprise that the author consistently writes about evangelism from a thoroughly Calvinistic perspective. This is made explicitly clear in the historical examples of evangelists he gives (Edwards, Whitefield, Judson, Carey), in the theological treatments of the gospel he cites (The Cannons of Dort), the theologians he cites (Augustine, Calvin, Bunyan, Spurgeon, Lloyd-Jones, Kennedy, Packer, Sproul), and in the Biblical accounts he gives (John 3:16, John 6:37, Paul, Peter, etc.). Calvinism has a rich history of evangelism. Additionally, Dever makes the important point that rather than being a deterrent to evangelism, Calvinism is actually the environment in which healthy evangelism best thrives.
Also very good that he explained what evangelism is and what it isn't, essentially stating that evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel and a call to sinners to repent and believe in Jesus. Very helpful that Dever then went on to explain what the gospel both is and isn't. Without a clear view of this, any attempt to discuss evangelism becomes subjective or murky.
I also very much enjoyed the chapter on why we should evangelize. I'm sure Dever had good reasons, but saving this discussion for the end of the book rather than discussing it at the beginning seems a bit strange to me.
One of the main themes that Dever continually repeated was the responsibility of the Christian in evangelism and the work of God in conversion. In one example, Dever writes, "The Christian call to evangelism is a call not simply to persuade people to make decisions but rather to proclaim to them the good news of salvation in Christ, to call them to repentance, and to give God the glory for regeneration and conversion. We don't fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not converted; we fail only if we don't faithfully tell the gospel at all" (80-81).
The word to the pastors at the end was excellent. The danger in topical books like these is often to impose upon pastors practices that will dominate their ministry. However, I found Dever's suggestions to pastors to be very manageable, balanced, realistic, and pastoral-theologically informed. A pastor himself, this is no surprise coming from Dever.
A couple (very minor) criticisms:
First, this book was lacking in a theology of Jew/Gentile in evangelism. Even when discussing Romans 9-11, Dever failed to mention that these chapter are specifically about reaching the Jewish people with the gospel, the Gentile's role in this, the subsequent blessing to both groups, and how this is God's design for global evangelism. This is strangely, though unsurprisingly, missing from the book. Even one paragraph making mention of this would have been satisfactory. For a book focused on giving a Biblical-theological treatment on evangelism, this is a small thing to ask.
Second, and maybe more implicitly, I felt like at times Dever's writing could be interpreted as leading to a false dichotomy between evangelism and discipleship. At one point he says, "…evangelism should find its fulfillment in discipleship" (91). Unfortunately, though we use language like this for the sake of convenience, evangelism and discipleship are not Biblical distinctions. What is "discipleship" anyway? I believe Dever understands this, but again, even a simple paragraph to make this clear would be helpful. Or perhaps even rewording quotes like this to read "…evangelism finds its place in the disciplemaking process," or something like that. Dever laments how many churches are full of false converts who fail to actually repent and live for Jesus; I would contend that part of the reason is because we have incorrectly split Jesus' singular command to make disciples into two parts: evangelism and discipleship.
If the Holy Spirit is convicting you to obey the Biblical command to evangelism (or should I say, 'make disciples'?), this is the place to start. No one can have a healthy practice of evangelism without a solid, Biblically informed theology of evangelism. I highly recommend this book to every believer.
May 5, 2022
Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.
Evangelism in a relativistic pluralistic society where the only wrong, is to tell someone they are wrong? Yikes! Yet, this is what Jesus demands of those who follow Him and what myriads of saints have died doing.
In this book, Mark Dever explains what evangelism is and isn’t. After making clear the gospel, the author explains that evangelism is the communicating of this gospel to someone. It is not conversion; although, we pray for this. It is not acts of charity or kindness; although, we should adorn our lives with such things in the very hope that the gospel will look more enticing. It is not apologetics; although, a defense of Christianity may be very helpful at times. Dever goes onto discuss a host of issues and practical advice related to the topic. The result is a book that is easily readable (listenable), clarifying, convicting, and helpful.
If you’re like me and regularly want to but fail to share the good news of how sinners can be reconciled to God, then this book is for you. If you’re like George Whitefield and have told the gospel to roughly 80% of American colonists, then this book is for you as well.
Evangelism in a relativistic pluralistic society where the only wrong, is to tell someone they are wrong? Yikes! Yet, this is what Jesus demands of those who follow Him and what myriads of saints have died doing.
In this book, Mark Dever explains what evangelism is and isn’t. After making clear the gospel, the author explains that evangelism is the communicating of this gospel to someone. It is not conversion; although, we pray for this. It is not acts of charity or kindness; although, we should adorn our lives with such things in the very hope that the gospel will look more enticing. It is not apologetics; although, a defense of Christianity may be very helpful at times. Dever goes onto discuss a host of issues and practical advice related to the topic. The result is a book that is easily readable (listenable), clarifying, convicting, and helpful.
If you’re like me and regularly want to but fail to share the good news of how sinners can be reconciled to God, then this book is for you. If you’re like George Whitefield and have told the gospel to roughly 80% of American colonists, then this book is for you as well.
January 27, 2023
Let me premise this review with a little about me:
Prior to being saved I thought that people that tried to talk to me about Jesus were just a bit weird and made me feel uncomfortable. But once I was saved and made the realization that this is the most joy and peace I’ve ever had, well….you want to share that with people. Hence my reading about evangelism, not to mention that God commands it of us.
Now, about the book:
Thus far, this is the best book on evangelism that I have read. This book is only 119 pages, yet Dever manages to teach so much about how to share the Gospel. Rather than jumping right in to how to evangelize, he speaks to why we don’t evangelize and points us to the Gospel. After he teaches us who and how to evangelize, he also touches on ways we should not evangelize and the why behind evangelism-which I think most believers are familiar with.
If you need to take God’s word more serious and bump up your evangelizing skill, then I would certainly recommend this most excellent read.
Prior to being saved I thought that people that tried to talk to me about Jesus were just a bit weird and made me feel uncomfortable. But once I was saved and made the realization that this is the most joy and peace I’ve ever had, well….you want to share that with people. Hence my reading about evangelism, not to mention that God commands it of us.
Now, about the book:
Thus far, this is the best book on evangelism that I have read. This book is only 119 pages, yet Dever manages to teach so much about how to share the Gospel. Rather than jumping right in to how to evangelize, he speaks to why we don’t evangelize and points us to the Gospel. After he teaches us who and how to evangelize, he also touches on ways we should not evangelize and the why behind evangelism-which I think most believers are familiar with.
If you need to take God’s word more serious and bump up your evangelizing skill, then I would certainly recommend this most excellent read.
December 2, 2024
This is my second time reading this book and I walked away convicted and encouraged yet again! A great small book on the who, what, when, where, why, and how of evangelism!
“‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ What does such love require of us? It seems to require that what we want for ourselves, we want for those we love too. If you desire to love God with perfect affection, you will desire that for your neighbor too. But you are not loving your neighbor as yourself if you’re not trying to persuade him toward the greatest and best aspect of your own life — your reconciled relationship with God.”
“‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ What does such love require of us? It seems to require that what we want for ourselves, we want for those we love too. If you desire to love God with perfect affection, you will desire that for your neighbor too. But you are not loving your neighbor as yourself if you’re not trying to persuade him toward the greatest and best aspect of your own life — your reconciled relationship with God.”
August 12, 2017
Humbly and uncompromisingly written from the heart of an agnostic-turned-pastor, a very clear and succinct account of what the gospel is and is not, what evangelism is and is not. Mark Dever reminds us of our need for dependence on God's power as it is Him who brings about the true conversion of a soul, and the privilege of obedience in faithfully proclaiming the gospel as it is with honesty, urgency and joy.
He reminds us of the realistic challenges and assumptions surrounding the gospel and evangelism, bringing it back to what Scripture has to say on this subject. Overall, a very concise and convicting read offering a good grounding on the whats, hows and whys of evangelism and the gospel.
In his words, "We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all."
He reminds us of the realistic challenges and assumptions surrounding the gospel and evangelism, bringing it back to what Scripture has to say on this subject. Overall, a very concise and convicting read offering a good grounding on the whats, hows and whys of evangelism and the gospel.
In his words, "We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all."
March 18, 2019
Great little book on personal evangelism from a trusted and biblically-robust teacher. Its systematic approach to all the facets of the sharing of the gospel is helpful in clarifying the task. However, the main gold is that Dever's passion for it spills over in the pages. He really wants to make you an evangelist for the good of others and the glory of God. It convicted me both to pray more for opportunities and to do it when they come.
September 16, 2017
Helpful Instruction about Evangelism
I found some very helpful reminders about evangelism in this quick read. It was encouraging to hear that just because a person does not respond, it doesn't mean you have not evangelized.
What was challenging for me about this book was that the author presented the topic in a way that I often felt a sense of shame about my failures to evangelize. And that might just be my own guilt speaking and not the fault of the author at all.
I found some very helpful reminders about evangelism in this quick read. It was encouraging to hear that just because a person does not respond, it doesn't mean you have not evangelized.
What was challenging for me about this book was that the author presented the topic in a way that I often felt a sense of shame about my failures to evangelize. And that might just be my own guilt speaking and not the fault of the author at all.
July 30, 2020
It was a solid book, just not at all what I was expecting. It was very basic, not practically, but in principle. If you have never thought about sharing the gospel before, this is a good book for you. If you have shared the gospel or tried to, the principles in this book will most likely be a reminder of what you already know.
February 9, 2018
Following on the heels of "Nine Marks of a Healthy Church" this one didn't blow my hair back since I'd just read some of the content, but it is solid, and important and therefore gets high marks. I will keep for reference and likely come back to it regularly. A great place to start on the purpose and practice and necessity of personal evangelism as part of every Christian's walk.
August 27, 2022
Disclaimer I listened to this on HOOPLA.
It was great. Very clear on evangelism being an actual presentation of the gospel. Defined what the gospel is and what it isn’t. And was a great encouragement to me as a Christian to evangelize! More books like this need to be read/listened to by Christians to spur us on to share the good news with those who are perishing.
It was great. Very clear on evangelism being an actual presentation of the gospel. Defined what the gospel is and what it isn’t. And was a great encouragement to me as a Christian to evangelize! More books like this need to be read/listened to by Christians to spur us on to share the good news with those who are perishing.
February 14, 2021
Good book, some chapters better than others so they were
October 26, 2022
Such a good book. Short enough to read quickly. Encouraged and equipped me to share the Gospel with my classmates. Thank you Mark.
October 23, 2023
Short and punchy with lots of practical tips. The presentation methods could be updated.
October 1, 2024
The best book I’ve ever read on evangelism.
Read
February 12, 2025I had to read this for a class and I honestly think all Christians should read this! Let’s go spread the good news of the Gospel!❤️❤️❤️
May 1, 2018
Really enjoyed this book. Was challenged by it too. Dever writes clearly, compellingly, and shoots straight. Highly recommended straight-to-the point manual answering the basic questions about evangelism: what, why, who, where, how...? Sharing Christ is essential, not optional, and it's every Christian's privilege and responsibility!
May 6, 2020
An encouraging and direct book about evangelism which covers a lot of ground in a short space. Here's a summary I made after reading this with a group at our church:
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INTRODUCTION - Amazing story about John Harper, Titanic evangelist
CHAPTER ONE: Why Don’t We Evangelise?
—> Five common reasons
—> Solution: Plan to stop not evangelising: 1. Pray, 2. Plan, 3. Accept that this is our job, 4. Understand that all Christians must evangelise, 5. Be Faithful to God instead of letting other people rule our motivations, 6. Risk, 7. Prepare, 8. Look for the opportunities, 9. Love others by evangelising, 10. Fear God, not people, 11. Stop using the excuse of God’s sovereignty, 12. Consider Jesus and don’t lose heart (Heb 12:3).
CHAPTER TWO: What is the Gospel?
—> What it’s not:
- Simply that we are ok
- Simply that God is love
- Simply that Jesus wants to be our friend
- That we should live rightly
—> What is the gospel? Page 43: 1. God made us to know him; 2. We sinned and cut ourselves off from him, 3. The life , death and resurrection of Jesus which has fulfilled the law and taken our punishment; 4. We are called to repent and trust in Jesus to receive forgiveness and eternal life.
CHAPTER THREE: Who Should Evangelise?
—> All Christians, equipped as members of their local church, working together.
CHAPTER FOUR: How Should We Evangelise?
—> With Honesty, Urgency and Joy.
—> Specifically: 1.Pray, 2. Use the Bible, 3. Be clear, 4. Provoke self-reflection, 5. Use the church.
CHAPTER FIVE: What Isn’t Evangelism?
1. Imposition: We can’t force anyone to believe, we simply tell the good news.
2. Personal Testimony: This is powerful, but make sure include the actual message of the gospel.
3. Social Action and Public Involvement: They commend the gospel, but don’t actually share it.
4. Apologetics: Can be helpful, can be unhelpful, but by itself isn’t sharing the gospel message.
5. The Results of Evangelism: We can’t control these and shouldn’t try — we simply tell the gospel.
CHAPTER SIX: What Should We Do After We Evangelise?
—> Negative responses (“Undecided", “Not now", “No, never”): Clarify unclear responses, be patient, respect people's decisions, don’t keep sharing if unwelcome, pray and live the gospel.
—> Positive responses: Bring into the church, teach what it means to follow Jesus, wait for fruit to be seen over time.
CHAPTER SEVEN: Why Should We Evangelise?
- A desire to be obedient
- Love for the lose
- Love for God
Encouragements to Evangelise: 1. Ask people about their testimonies, 2. Consider the reality of hell, 3. Consider the encouragement of God’s sovereignty, 4. Meditate on the gospel, 5. Consider the cross.
CONCLUSION: “Closing the Sale”
- Don’t be tempted to change the message in order to get a response or “close the sale”.
APPENDIX: A Word to Pastors
- Practical and realistic encouragements regarding a pastor’s role in building a culture of evangelism in a church.
-----------------------
INTRODUCTION - Amazing story about John Harper, Titanic evangelist
CHAPTER ONE: Why Don’t We Evangelise?
—> Five common reasons
—> Solution: Plan to stop not evangelising: 1. Pray, 2. Plan, 3. Accept that this is our job, 4. Understand that all Christians must evangelise, 5. Be Faithful to God instead of letting other people rule our motivations, 6. Risk, 7. Prepare, 8. Look for the opportunities, 9. Love others by evangelising, 10. Fear God, not people, 11. Stop using the excuse of God’s sovereignty, 12. Consider Jesus and don’t lose heart (Heb 12:3).
CHAPTER TWO: What is the Gospel?
—> What it’s not:
- Simply that we are ok
- Simply that God is love
- Simply that Jesus wants to be our friend
- That we should live rightly
—> What is the gospel? Page 43: 1. God made us to know him; 2. We sinned and cut ourselves off from him, 3. The life , death and resurrection of Jesus which has fulfilled the law and taken our punishment; 4. We are called to repent and trust in Jesus to receive forgiveness and eternal life.
CHAPTER THREE: Who Should Evangelise?
—> All Christians, equipped as members of their local church, working together.
CHAPTER FOUR: How Should We Evangelise?
—> With Honesty, Urgency and Joy.
—> Specifically: 1.Pray, 2. Use the Bible, 3. Be clear, 4. Provoke self-reflection, 5. Use the church.
CHAPTER FIVE: What Isn’t Evangelism?
1. Imposition: We can’t force anyone to believe, we simply tell the good news.
2. Personal Testimony: This is powerful, but make sure include the actual message of the gospel.
3. Social Action and Public Involvement: They commend the gospel, but don’t actually share it.
4. Apologetics: Can be helpful, can be unhelpful, but by itself isn’t sharing the gospel message.
5. The Results of Evangelism: We can’t control these and shouldn’t try — we simply tell the gospel.
CHAPTER SIX: What Should We Do After We Evangelise?
—> Negative responses (“Undecided", “Not now", “No, never”): Clarify unclear responses, be patient, respect people's decisions, don’t keep sharing if unwelcome, pray and live the gospel.
—> Positive responses: Bring into the church, teach what it means to follow Jesus, wait for fruit to be seen over time.
CHAPTER SEVEN: Why Should We Evangelise?
- A desire to be obedient
- Love for the lose
- Love for God
Encouragements to Evangelise: 1. Ask people about their testimonies, 2. Consider the reality of hell, 3. Consider the encouragement of God’s sovereignty, 4. Meditate on the gospel, 5. Consider the cross.
CONCLUSION: “Closing the Sale”
- Don’t be tempted to change the message in order to get a response or “close the sale”.
APPENDIX: A Word to Pastors
- Practical and realistic encouragements regarding a pastor’s role in building a culture of evangelism in a church.
April 26, 2012
By far one of the best, clear books on evangelism I have read. The importance of evangelism is the Gospel and how do we communicate the Gospel. It lays a foundation of evangelism that is clear. It brings up what evangelism is not and why as Christians we evangelize. Also with our relation to the church body. Many church members are due to church hopping and not true conversions. The church needs to make sure that the body understands the Gospel so that it can share it with others. A balance of honesty, urgency and joy. It really gives you a bibical outlook!
May 20, 2014
This was a great, short little book on the basics of evangelism. Mark Dever does a great job of summarizing the Gospel and pointing out the false Gospels that people fall into. This book is less of a "how to" and talks more about the importance of getting the Gospel right, the sovereignty of God to change hearts, and our responsibility to share the good news with the world. This book will definitely stir you to look for evangelistic opportunities.
May 27, 2020
This was a well written and useful book on evangelism. I like the practical approach the author took in writing it. I especially liked how the author spoke about the gospel's essential role in evangelism. Inviting people to church, sharing your testimony and living obedient lives to the Lord are important and godly, but without the giving of the gospel, they cannot be considered as evangelism.
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